Missouri--Homeschoolers Win Access
to Highway Patrol as Legislature Closes

As the legislature closed Friday, May 16, it finished work on the
passage of S.B. 723, removing hurdles for homeschool graduates to
obtain employment in the State Highway Patrol. Missouri homeschool
grads had experienced difficulty because applicable law required an
"accredited" high school diploma or GED. S.B. 723 adopts the very
sensible policy that anyone completing high school in accordance with
Missouri's compulsory attendance law is qualified to apply.  This bill
received very little opposition on its way to passage.

Thank you for your calls in opposition to H.B. 2078, the driver's
license bill.  They made a difference! The bill died with the close of
the legislature.  Your calls sent a loud and clear message that the
homeschool community was united in opposing the bad policy this bill
would have created. 

This misguided bill would have made it much harder for young
adults--including homeschoolers--to get a learner's permits or a
driver's license by conditioning them on school performance.  If this
bill had passed, it would have given the Department of Education broad
de facto power to regulate homeschooling.  Families wanting their
mature young adults to move into the responsibility of driving a car
would have had new regulations and bureaucracy to battle.

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Rodney Howard, tried a last-minute
parliamentary maneuver to get the bill passed despite homeschool
opposition.  He attempted to get his bill's language inserted into
another bill that appeared destined to become law. The bill he
attempted to use as a host passed--but because of careful work by FHE
(Families for Home Education), it passed without his bill's language!
Another similar bill, H.B. 1717, never made it out of committee.

H.B. 1748, which would have made 6-year-olds subject to state-mandated
compulsory school attendance, never made it out of house committee.
 
H.B. 1319 would have created tax credits for businesses that hired
lower-income teens for summer jobs.  HSLDA opposed the bill because
its requirements for school performance could have created paths for
greater regulation of homeschooling.  The bill passed the House, and
cleared the Senate Ways and Means Committee, but never made it to the
Senate floor for a vote, so it died as the legislature ended.
 
Thank you for standing with us for freedom.
 

Sincerely,
 
Scott A. Woodruff
HSLDA Staff Attorney